Posted by Elroy on February 24, 2005, at 19:02:56
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site, posted by world citizen on February 24, 2005, at 0:22:57
No, I don't believe that 7-KETO would be a problem (specifically that version of DHEA). In fact, it is on my definite "To Try" list. Especially since it also has a known anti-cortisol effect.
As to aspartame, in my efforts to stay away from sugar, I used to consume that occasionally. Very little however as I just haven't been much into sweets (diet food style or otherwise). I have since replaced it with (mainly) stevia and occasionally sucralose....
As to: "It might just be that your cortisol went crazy because of the crap that was going on in your life."
I think that is a very likely scenario. I think that I had slightly elevated cortisol for several years (let's say 1996 - 1999), with a "bump up" then from 2000 - 2002. There was some on-going therapy between July 2002 and early Feb 2004 (which I think caused the cortisol to plaeau off if not recede slightly... but overall, I think that the HP Axis was already "mostly broken" and just waiting for the right trigger). The therapy (and Ambien) was stopped as I "was better" (in fact was feeling greater than I had in years). Then in June of 2004 there was then a family loss situation that provided that trigger and there was suddenly a huge amount of anxiety. That was then soon followed by hypogonadism, strong peripheral neuropathy symptoms, strong UTI type symptoms, and tinnitus... with the first starting within about 2 weeks of the anxiety onset and all of them surfacing within about 2 - 3 weeks of each other! So I think that in one sense the chronic anxiety stressed (over-stressed) the HPA Axis which resulted in chronic high levels of cortisol. The chronic high levels of cortisol enhanced the anxiety and the very severe anxiety "broke" the HPA Axis, causing a steady flood of excessive cortisol which - along with the anxiety - caused the rapid onset of the various physical disorders.
As to: "Have you considered therapy so you might process this stuff and perhaps come up with ways of relaxing and letting go so as to reduce your cortisol?"....
Yes.
First response (after the PCP visits with a Kouple of Klowns) was with endos - as I knew that there was something going on wrong "inside". That's when the super low Test and the super high cortisol was found.
Then I fired things back up with the Psych Doc as the anxiety levels were just continuing to escalate - and I knew that whereas that first time I got away with no meds (other than herbal SJW), that this time around the anxiety was so severe that meds were going to be needed. Plus I later found out that Xanax has been shown to be quite beneficial for several types of tinnitus.
But hands-on therapy is now the next stage coming up. I am starting things back up with my prior therapist in a couple of weeks. Plus I found out that she is now advanced trained in that EMDR technology so she's going to incorporate that therapy.
See: http://www.remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=4144
I am also considering adding in the Redirecting Self Therapy into the mix.
See: http://www.remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=4083
Finally, I believe that the brain neurotransmitters are completely out of balance and that some need boosting (see Dr. Braverman's book, "The Edge Effect"), so I am going to simultaneously address those particulars with specific nutrients and the use of a CES device.
Oh... and on top of all of that, I'm going to address the cortisol levels directly by escalting use of anti-cortisol supps - and maybe trying to actually talk my endo into doing the short-term RU486 therapy for stopping cortisol and re-setting the HPA Axis.
Anxieties and depressions that do not respond effectively to early efforts to correct brain neurotransmiiters are - IMHO - very likely to be a result of a broken HPA Axis... especially, I believe, in scenarios where anxiety started first and depression came in later. Anyway, the system cannot completely turn off the Fight Or Flight Mechanism so until the HPA Axis gets "re-set", the meds don't work, or do for a while and then stop working, and the various therapy approaches either don't work, or work very, very slowly.
Anyway, there has been some interesting research done into the use of RU486 for treating severe depression (and would work similarly IMO in cases of anxiety, etc. that were related to elevated cortisol - which we KNOW exists in my case).
See:
http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/psychotic.asp (this is my type of depression... active, anxious, agitated)
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p040592.html
http://www2.eclinicalpsychiatrynews.com/scripts/om.dll/serve?action=searchDB&searchDBfor=art&artType=full&id=aqc04032616
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/nnp/research/publication/18411
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2000/november8/ru486-1108.html
http://www.wctv6.com/news/features/1/326156.html
http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/psychotic_ru486.asp
>
> So Elroy, would the 7-Keto be a problem for you? I'm not aware if it can be turned into estrogen in your system. The OTHER thing that accurs to me is thatyou might have been exposed to some sort of toxin-environmental, food additives (by the way, you don't use aspartame, do you? It is very neurotoxic and causes other problems as well!!!) Maybe if you had hair analysis done you might find a culprit. Did you get any tooth fillings during that time frame, mercury is incredibly toxic. It might just be that your cortisol went crazy because of the crap that was going on in your life. Have you considered therapy so you might process this stuff and perhaps come up with ways of relaxing and letting go so as to reduce your cortisol? I'm just asking, I have not a clue.
> World Citizen
poster:Elroy
thread:452259
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050131/msgs/462893.html